Cladding is a protective outer layer of boards or panels, such as timber, composite, fibre cement or uPVC, fixed to battens on the outside of a wall to change its appearance, shed rain and, where insulation is added, reduce heat loss.
Anyone planning cladding in Inverness wants three things: a clear price, a realistic timetable and a tidy job. We publish a guide of £4,800–£11,500 including VAT for Scotland up front, explain that work normally takes 3 days to 3 weeks depending on area, and confirm both in writing after a free survey of your property.
- Guide price
- £4,800–£11,500 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 3 days to 3 weeks depending on area
- Postcodes
- IV1 and IV3
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- Highland
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for cladding in Inverness?
Budgeting for cladding in Inverness? The numbers below include VAT and are adjusted for Scotland, where costs are about 4% below the national guide. The headline range is £4,800–£11,500. Nothing is final until we have measured up at a free survey and agreed the specification with you.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Inverness |
|---|---|---|
| Feature area or dormer | A gable, dormer, bay or small feature wall in uPVC, timber or composite. | £1,450–£4,800 |
| Extension or upper storey | About 40–60m² of timber, composite or fibre cement with membrane and battens. | £4,800–£11,500 |
| Whole house | Cladding most elevations of a house, often with added insulation. | £11,500–£29,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Wall area to be clad and the height of the building
- Cladding material and board profile
- Window reveals, corners and roof junctions to detail
- Scaffolding, access and distance from boundaries
What does the job include in Inverness?
- Survey of the wall, boundaries, damp and window details
- Scaffolding or access towers as needed
- Insulation behind the cladding where agreed
- Cavity barriers and fire-stopping where regulations require
- Cladding boards fixed with suitable stainless or coated fixings
- Corner trims, window reveals and ventilated top and bottom edges
Local housing and cladding
Inverness has Victorian villas and terraces and large modern estates, while rural Highland homes range from harled stone cottages and croft houses to modern timber-frame kit houses, which are common across the region. Orkney uses local flagstone, and island and coastal communities mix traditional stone homes with newer bungalows.
Croft houses and stone cottages often need lime harling, re-roofing and window renewal. Bungalows commonly take extensions and loft rooms, and remote projects need careful planning for materials and access.
Knowing the typical building types in Highlands and Islands helps, but a survey of your own home in Inverness is what decides the right approach to cladding.
Do you need permission in Inverness?
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each handle planning a little differently. Inverness comes under Scotland, covered below, and we raise any questions with the council before your quote is finalised.
In Scotland, changing the external finish of a house in a conservation area or on a listed building needs consent; elsewhere, like-for-like re-rendering is usually treated as repair.
Large-scale re-cladding or external insulation can need a building warrant; like-for-like render repairs normally do not.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
How does the job run?
Free site survey
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for cladding so the price reflects your home.
Quote in writing
You get the price in writing, itemised so you can see where the money goes. As long as the specification stays the same, that is the price you pay for cladding.
Dates and permissions
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
Build and hand over
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
Why homeowners choose us
Questions about cladding in Inverness
How much does house cladding cost?
Cladding around 40–60m² of wall, such as an extension or upper storey, costs £4,800–£11,500, including membrane, battens and trims. As a guide, allow roughly £80–£180 per square metre plus fixed costs for scaffolding and set-up. uPVC and softwood sit at the lower end, while hardwood, composite and fibre cement cost more. Adding insulation increases the price. We confirm a fixed figure after the survey.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
How long does cladding take to install?
Cladding a small dormer or gable usually takes a few days, an extension or upper storey around one to two weeks, and a whole house two to three weeks or more. Scaffolding, insulation and detailing around many windows add time. Timber boards may need to acclimatise on site first. We give you a programme with the written quote.
Do I need planning permission to clad my house?
Whether cladding needs planning permission depends on the material and how it changes the look of the house, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you live in. In England, cladding is generally permitted development only if the materials look similar to the existing house, and it is not permitted development in conservation areas. We check before quoting.
Do you cover Nairn, Forres and Elgin?
Yes. As well as Inverness, we cover Nairn, Forres and Elgin and the rest of Highlands and Islands. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
Also covering areas around Inverness
We survey and quote throughout Inverness's IV1 and IV3 postcodes and in surrounding places such as Nairn, Forres and Elgin. The process and pricing approach are identical in each of them.